Timing is Everything
by Emporess
Summary: The future Senshi crack up in Crystal Tokyo.


This story has nothing to do with anything else I've written.  
It also has nothing to do with my real thoughts on the senshi.  
In fact, its probably the result of reading too much Dark Day for Anime.  
  
You have been forewarned ^^ Proceed at your own peril.  
  
Sailor Moon ain't mine.  
  
____________________________________________________________________  
  
Timing is Everything  
  
by: Sayhaya (Emporess)  
  
____________________________________________________________________  
  
Chapter 1 - Frenzied  
  
"But I don't want to go among mad people."  
"Oh, you can't help that - we're ALL mad here..."   
-Alice in Wonderland  
  
  
The orange heels worn by Venus made echoes as she made her  
way across the halls of the palace. It was taking her a great deal  
of effort to focus her thoughts in a coherent state. Several times  
her pace would slow as her eyes glazed over. Then the determined  
look would return to her face as she continued on.   
  
Eventually she stopped outside an ornate entrance way. Pillars  
lined the main hallway, stopping just before the intricately carved  
door. She could recognize only a few of the ancient runes placed  
upon it. The meanings had nothing to do with her purpose anyway.  
  
She paused, hand trembling mere inches from the wood   
paneling. She wasn't afraid. At least, she didn't *think* she was  
afraid. But her thinking wasn't exactly to be trusted anyway.  
  
For Venus was going mad.  
  
Not stark raving mad, mind you. In fact, she was handling   
things with quite a bit of decorum compared to the states some of   
the other Senshi had deteriorated too. They had made themselves  
difficult to destroy. Most of them, anyway.  
  
The shaking in her hand finally settled. Her gaze turned  
back to steel as she pulled herself together again. Yes, she   
had a purpose, a meaning still. The fates of billions still  
rested on her decisions and actions. It was a familiar burden  
for the Senshi. Unfortunately, there was no one left to help  
her share it. Well, almost no one.  
  
The large door opened of its own accord. As it swung aside   
she noticed the gray fog permeating the room. There was nothing  
else here but an old grandfather clock, which ticked away in   
The background. Engraved on a golden plate in the center were the  
words "Timing Is Everything".  
  
Out of the mist rose a green haired figure in a black  
sailor fuku. She gripped a long staff, with a lavender orb  
seated at the top. Magenta eyes locked onto her own as a rare  
smile donned the woman's face.  
  
"Venus! What a surprise!" Sailor Pluto called gaily   
from her position a few feet away. "I wish I'd known you were  
coming, I could have made some coffee!"  
  
Venus said nothing as she continued to stare at Pluto.  
  
"Well, of course I *knew* you were coming. I *am* the   
Senshi of Time, after all." She leaned heavily on her staff, still  
grinning like a damned fool.  
  
"Then you know this isn't a social call." Venus finally  
found her voice. It sounded huskier then usual.  
  
"Of course I knew that!" She exclaimed excitedly. "None of  
the Senshi ever visited me on a social call. It was always,  
'Setsuna-san, the world is caving in!' or 'Setsuna-san, the King  
has been kidnapped!' or 'Setsuna-san, are you *sure* that pink  
thing is mine?!'." She humphed and gave the appearance of   
pouting. "Why couldn't anyone just come over to hangout? Or  
go bowling with me or something??"  
  
"Urm..." Venus mumbled, thrown off track by the bizarre  
questions.  
  
"I'm serious! I have my own shoes, and my own ball. I've  
mastered the technique! Perfect 300's every game, blindfolded!  
You can learn so many skills when you have an eternity to do  
it, you know?"   
  
Venus blinked. "Ah... Well... I guess we assumed guarding  
the time-gate was kinda a full time job..."  
  
Pluto stopped leaning on the staff and groaned loudly. "That's  
what you all get for 'assuming'. Why if I had a dime for every  
blunder that has taken place in this world simply because of   
another person's 'assumptions', I'd-"  
  
The sweatdrop that had formed next to the Senshi's head was  
now joined by a rapid eyebrow twitch. "Then you do know why I'm  
here?"  
  
Pluto dropped her pout, going back to her original smile.  
"Hai! Your here to kill me, ne?"  
  
"That *would* be the jist of it..." Venus trailed off. The  
manic glee that Pluto was showing bothered her. She would have  
preferred the all-knowing self righteous act to this.  
  
"Unless, of course, it turns out *I'm* actually the saner  
of the two of us." With that she twirled the time-staff above  
her head and thrust it ahead of her. "In which case, I'm   
supposed to kill you!"  
  
"Exactly." Venus said, closing the distance between them.  
  
Pluto let loose with another fit of laughter. "Oh,   
Minako-chan, you have no idea how long I've waited for this! Its  
been so long since I actually got to *fight* anyone! The   
mind-numbing boredom of a Utopia was underestimated even by  
me! Its no wonder you killed the others when they went loony!"  
  
Now that statement wasn't completely fair. Or true.  
She hadn't killed all of the others. Some of them had did it  
themselves. Only the real basket cases had to be destroyed. She  
especially didn't like Pluto's tone. So jubilant, almost   
taunting. "I didn't *want* to kill them. They were my friends!"  
  
"And you proved it, did you not?!" Pluto cried. "You were  
*so* humane with it. First the non-violent sedation of the   
subject. Then came the hospitalization. Of course, modern   
medicine could not cure the disease we have!"  
  
"What disease is that?" Venus asked, her voice devoid  
of any real emotion.  
  
"Life." She deadpanned, before cracking up again. She  
held her sides as she literally rolled on the floor with  
laughter. "Not that I'm criticizing your work, of course. I  
thought Ami-chan looked much improved with skin that matched her  
hair color!"  
  
Venus didn't move a muscle, her inward thoughts turned  
to Mercury. She had been the first, after the Queen. The most   
cerebral of them all had been the one to snap.  
  
  
"They've confirmed the sighting?" Mars asked Venus as  
they dodged around piles of scrap metal. The room would have  
been pitch black to anyone without their heightened Senshi  
abilities.   
  
"Hai, they saw her down here." The two figures were  
joined by Jupiter as they climbed atop one of the larger  
heaps.   
  
"It certainly looks like the kind of place Ami-chan  
would frequent nowadays," The brunette stated, wrinkling  
her nose at the smell rising from the room. "Its full of   
those gizmos she likes so much."   
  
Mars gave a curt nod of agreement, kicking at the pile   
with one of her high heeled shoes. She was much more comfortable  
in her rooms of the palace.   
  
"Remember, be *gentle* when you find her. We don't want to   
hurt her." Venus admonished them  
  
"Of course not! We just want to lock her up!" Jupiter began  
to cackle, slapping her knee with her hand. "Did you hear what I  
said? I said-"  
  
"We heard, we heard." Droned both Mars and Venus in unision.  
They both passed a look at each other. After dealing with Mercury,  
they might want to take the brunette in for a look as well. Early  
detection of insanity could save on the casualties when they   
finally 'snap'. Mercury had taken out the top floor of the Mizuno  
clinic in 10 seconds flat, while pumped full of narcotics.  
  
Just then a bright light shone on the high ceiling of  
the room. Shadows were thrown across the walls, moving in tandem.  
The 3 Senshi could now see what is was they were walking through.  
  
A collective gasp came from the women. While they had expected  
to see the broken arms, legs, and other mech equipment, they were  
not prepared for the 20 " 20 ft. shrine off to the far wall. The   
pedestal hosted 2 thick tier candles. In the middle burned the  
source of the hideous smell permeating the room.  
  
"What *is* that?!" Venus asked, holding her nose while  
moving closer for a better look.  
  
"I've never smelled incense like that before..." The former  
shinto priestess murmured.  
  
"Guys?" Jupiter poked them both in the shoulder.  
  
"Hold on, Jupiter, I'm trying to get a better look at that  
thing." Venus strained her eyes a bit. "What the heck is that   
picture hanging above there?"  
  
"Guys I really think you should turn around," There was  
a slight quaver in Jupiter's voice.  
  
"It appears to be some kanji..." Mars squinted. "God is...  
God is at... no wait that looks more like in...God is in the..."  
She shook her head and sighed. "Its no good, I can't make out the  
last one..."  
  
"GOD IS IN THE MACHINE!" Thundered a voice from behind. Venus  
tripped over Jupiter, who in turn knocked Mars over so they all fell  
on top of each other. The tangle of arms and legs (shapely ones, I   
might add ^^) moved in a frantic attempt to put some distance between  
them and the- thing.  
  
The mutant giant robo wannabe moved one huge foot down next to  
them. "Behold the Zarathusa!" It was taller then the shrine, its head   
barely scraping the ceiling. The face held only one eyeball, which   
glowed a malevolent lime color. No other features adorned the top half.   
  
The body was blue, and humanoid in shape except for the extra  
appendages added on. At the end of some of the arms were talons,  
sharp pincers, blunt objects. One arm looked like the barrel of a  
gun- or a bazooka.   
  
"Holy shit!" Jupiter exclaimed, whistling at the size of it.  
  
"Indeed," came Mercury's electronically enhanced voice. "Holy:  
A revered object. Shit: What I used to create my masterpiece. With  
scrap parts I have created what no one else has! The ultimate super-  
being!" A patented evil scientist cackle echoed through the room.  
  
"This doesn't look good," Venus whispered to Mars.  
  
"SILENCE! You heathens should be bowing! You are looking at  
the next stage of human evolution! Man and machine united as one!"  
They watched the blockbuster special effects as the robo charged  
up with sparkling blue light.  
  
"Ami-chan, come out of there. We need to talk about this."  
Venus pleaded. "Your sick. If you'd just let us finish your treatment-"  
  
"Treatment?" came the electronically enhanced voice. "You  
call locking me away from my research 'treatment'?" A eerie laugh  
projected down at them. "Did you really think I didn't see it coming?  
You thought you could out think me? I'm the one with the brains.  
I planned for every feeble contingency you could come up with. You  
can't stop the revolution!"  
  
"Is it just me, or is she getting a Gendo complex?" Venus  
murmured to Mars who gave a short nod to confirm.  
  
"Look, Ami-chan, come out, and we can talk about this. You   
can't just sit in there forever. Eventually you have to come out."  
Mars said, trying to reason with her. When it had no affect she   
turned to the other Senshi. "Look for a plug or off switch."  
  
"This suit is fully functional. It is a self-sustaining unit."  
Ami's smug voice echoing out of the mechanical speakers. "Any   
molecules it comes in contact with are converted into nutrients to  
sustain me... And I power the robot."  
  
"But what are you going to do? Stay down here and re-enact Dual?"   
asked Venus with a sigh.   
  
"Oh, I love that show!" Jupiter called out, and Mars nodded.  
  
"Of course not you twit." Ami's voice hissed. "I'm taking this   
to the surface. I'm going to purge the earth of the zombified humans   
we created. Then I will devote the remainder of the planet to the electronic   
wonders, the AIs."  
  
"You're joking!" Mars gasped, offended at the thought of a soulless   
world.   
  
"Am I?" Mercury replied, a challenge issued. One giant hand   
of the Zaruthusa raised above them before smashing down. They barely   
had time to jump out of the way. "Serenity played God, purifying the   
mortals, stripping their minds of any wisdom they possessed. And just   
like our creator, she left us to suffer with what she created, with no   
guidance. I refuse to be the guardian of a dead world."  
  
"How can you talk like this?" Jupiter pleaded. "Usagi-chan didn't   
leave us intentionally. You yourself said there's still hope we can reach her-"  
  
"Fuck her." Ami cut her off, by slamming one of the robot's huge  
hands at the group. They darted away by mere inches. "You three are  
only the beginning. I will cleanse the planet of all of you. I will make  
this place pure!"   
  
"We can't just keep dodging her," Mars hissed, barely missing a slam from  
a stray tentacle.  
  
"Your right," muttered Venus, bracing her feet on a pile of robot arms.   
"Ami-chan, I really don't want to hurt you, but your leaving me no choice!"  
Raising a pointing finger she watched as her power flew at the legs of the  
robot. It was joined by red flames leaping from her left. She felt the  
energy she was discharging through her body with a giddy joy that disturbed  
her. The world was so docile now, so boring, like the blandest oatmeal. She  
got a perverse pleasure out of using her powers, even if it was against one  
of her own.  
  
The metal on the robot blackened and charred. Jupiter drove at it with her  
fist, hoping to destroy the weakened infrastructure. As she leaped one of  
the hands came rushing at her. "JUPITER! LOOK OUT!" Venus called, too late.  
  
The brunette slammed not *into* the concrete walls but *through* them.   
Mars was already headed that way before she was lifted off her feet by  
one of the machine's sharp pincers. It entered her body through her   
shoulder and exited out the front. "ARRRRR" Mars screamed as she literally  
dangled by the metal impaling her.  
  
"REI-CHAN!" Venus gasped, leaping high into the air to land on the arm.   
She reached down for Mars, who held up her good arm as she moaned in agony.  
  
The arm made a flicking motion, which nearly dislodged Venus. She fell on  
her belly and wrapped herself across the slick surface. Mar's shoulder slid  
with a sickening wet sound as the pincer exited the same way it had entered.  
She made a crater in a large pile of debris with her landing.  
  
"MARS?! JUPITER?!" Venus wailed, looking around at where both their bodies  
had impacted. She saw no movement. Her eyes teared as she glanced up at the  
cockpit and her former senshi. "Ami-chan, please stop! We have to help them!"  
  
Cruel laughter met her pleas. The arm started to wave back and forth as Venus  
struggled to hold on. She managed to get to her feet just as a saw cut  
through where she had been laying. She vaulted backwards, before using  
another of the metal tentacles that was coming at her to jump up to the  
enclosure Mercury was in.  
  
"Ami-chan," she whispered, placing her arm on the plastic coating. She  
could hardly recognize her fomer friend. Half a dozen cords were attached  
to her naked form. Her skin was gray, and spread thin over her skeleton.  
Her eyes were closed, and her mouth did not move even as the electronic  
amplified voice raged at Venus.  
  
"Just give it up, Minako-chan! Why bother fighting me?!" Several of the  
metal appendages tried to close in on her, but they couldn't find a good  
angle. She was too close to the cockpit.   
  
"What are you trying to do really, Ami-chan?" Minako whimpered as the   
machine shuddered under her. Something was happening to it. "Usagi  
wouldn't want a souless world, and neither would you. This doesn't  
make any sense, and you always make sense Ami-chan. Please stop this!"  
  
"She left us! Shes gone, and we can't get her back! *I* can't get her back!"  
The mechanical voice rose in volume, accompanied by something that sounded  
like modem feedback times 1000. "I've tried everything I can think of on  
her, and nothing works! Usagi is gone! She fucking left us with this world,  
this castrated relic she created, and I can't stand it! I can't pretend  
anymore Minako! I can't pretend to be OK! I'm not OK! None of us are! You  
know it as well as I do!"  
  
"Even if you don't want to pretend, it doesn't mean you have the right to  
destroy everything she created-" Minako stated in a rush, feeling one of  
the more slender tentacles covered in razors barely miss splitting her  
leg tendons. Her hand spread across the plastic, her power lighting it  
up, making it shake and begin to split aside.   
  
"YES I DO!" The voice boomed, and inside the tank Ami started to tremble.  
"Let me finish it for us all! We might even come back Minako-chan. Some  
place else. Or at least it'll be like an endless dream. You won't feel  
a thing-"  
  
"ARHHHHH!" screeched Venus as the razors tore at her back. Tore through  
skin. Through muscle. Her hand busted through the tank, a watery substance  
pouring around her as she stepped inside. As she moved onto Ami-chan, and  
beyond the pain of the think eating her alive behind her. She tore at the  
cords connecting Ami. But there were 100s of them, and the razor kept   
up on her.  
  
"Give it up!" The voice was weaker, but still there. "We're nearly immortal,  
but we're not invincible. You can't stop the machine by pulling a plug.  
And I'll never quit! Even if I have to kill all of you!"  
  
Venus' hands clutched at the pallid gray flesh that had once been Ami's neck.  
Her grip was weaker then she would have liked, but she could feel the throb  
of Ami's heart, the breath she still needed. She tightened her hold to cut  
off Ami's airpipe, even as she felt the razor arm pull out, and plunge   
forward. A slight turn of her head saved her from being severed above her  
spine. She doubted she'd be so lucky on the return trip.  
  
"I'm going to win!" The artificial voice raged, seeming stronger, even  
as Minako felt weaker. She was laying against Ami now, her hands still  
clenching the neck. Even if they were going numb, they looked to Minako  
like they were still applying pressure. But for how long?  
  
_____________________________________________________________________  
  
To be continued... Maybe. If I get some e-mail ^_~ *  
_____________________________________________________________________________  
  
Questions? Comments? Arrows?  
  
-Angst88@aol.com  
www.emporess-sama.net  
  
-Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill. 


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